Sleeping coyer for children



p 1932 AFL. THEXTON ET AL 1,375,525

SLEEPING COVER FOR CHILDREN Filed June 17. 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTORS ATTORNEYS Sept. 6, 1932. A. LfTHExToN ET AL.

SLEEPING COVER FOR CHILDREN Filed June 17, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MWINVENTORS AT'rbRNEYs Patented Sepia 193 21.

UNITE STATES PATENT earner, L. 'rrmxron AND orrica minim) B. "rnnxron,or omcnma'rr, oino, assreuona 'ro .m'rnua nrimx'ron SLEEPING COVER FORCHILDREN Application fled June 17, 1931. Serial No. 545,080.

This invention relates to sleeping coverings for infants and children.The problem is tov keep the child fully covered and protected from thecold and at the same time permit the child reasonable freedom of motion.

. The bag or garment type of sleeping appliances for children areundesirable for sev-- eral reasons, among which are that it is difficultto keep them appropriately clean and that the childs freedom of motionis unduly limited. On the other hand, most children become partiallyuncovered when ordinary blankets are used for the reason that they havea tendency to sleep with their arms and hands up over theirheads.Thisoften results in a bad cold and more serious illness. Often themother or nurse pins down the arms of the childs night clothes to kee itfrom assuming this natural position. t is a matter of observation amongdoctors that an ailing child will often sleep with its hands down but ashealth returns the child tends to resume its normal posturewith itshands and arms elevated.

It is desirable that a child should sleep in this position: first of allbecause it is natural and in the second place because it tends to extendand throw out the childs chest.

The object of this invention is to provide a sleeping covering which issusceptible to being kept in appropriate sanitary condition, whichpermits the child reasonable freedom a of motion and whichabove allpermits the child to assume the normal and natural sleeping positionabove described.

This feature of permitting the child to assume the natural sleepingposition can be incorporated in a s eepmg garment or bag but isdisclosed in relation to a sleeping blanket as the latter is deemed moreconvenient and useful.

Other objects and further advantages will be more fully apparent fromthe description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a erspective View of the baby blanket illustrating itsapplicatlon.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view showing the construction and fasteningmeans of the neck portion of the blanket.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the fasteningsreleased, and further illustratingthe construction.

Figure 4 is a view sho the back or lower face of the blanket unfol ed.

The bed covering or sleeping closure for.

children of this invention comprises primarily a layer of coverinmaterial such as blanketing, the upper en of which is configurated toprovide at each side an upwardly the child when elevated.

The lower portion of the bed cover or sleeping. closure is preferably inthe formof a blanket which may be tuckedunder the mattress in the usualand customary manner. The upper portion preferably comprises an envelopeadapted to enclose the up rportion of the child: the envelope preevi edwith a neck opening, and two pockets, one at each side of the neckopening, extending upwardly to accommodate the armsand slee ingposition.

I hands of the child when it assumes its natural ore specifically,the-blanket comprises a back-pieced on which the upper portion of theback of the child is adapted to rest. The bottom of this back-piece asdisclosed is curved downwardly and outwardly. The upper portion-of theback-piece is provided with the upward extensions 2, .one on each sideto correspond with the extensions from the top covering. The topcovering is made in two parts, 3, 4, joined at the? center by a slidefastener 5'. lhe lower-,por tion ofthe top cover is provided with its,flaps 6 which extend outwardly from a point adjacent to the point wherethe back-piece is attached to the top covering down tovthe lower end ofthe blanket. These flaps may be conveniently tucked under the mattress7. The upper portion of the top covering coin cides with the shape ofthe back covering and the two may be fastened together at the sides. Asdisclosed, however, the article is made by folding a blanket upon itselfto provide two layers attaching the'slide fastener to the free edges atthe front, then cutting the middle of the back upwardly to the middleand then transversely to provide the tucking flaps.

As disclosed, the slide fastener for fastening and unfastening theblanket in the front to put in or remove the child does not extend allthe way to the neck opening 8 as it is undesirable to have the metalparts in close proximity to the childs neck and chin. Instead, the slidefastener mechanism terminates a few inches from the top and an underpiece 9 is attached to one side of the blanket. This construction makesit possible to use an adjustable fastening mechanism at the neck. v

The fastening means disclosed comprises a button 10 attached to one sideof theneck and a tape 11 or the like attached to the other side andprovided with a plurality of button-holes, 12, any one of which may bese lectively secured to the button on the opposite side. This providesnot only a. snug fastening but two layers of material over the throatand the center of the childs-chest. As disclosed, the blanket is alsoprovided with four loops 13 by means of which it can be additionallysecured to the bed 14 by safety pins 15. One loop is placed at the topof each upward arm extension and one loop at each lower corner of theenvelope portion of the blanket.

In this way the child is kept completely covered although it-assumes thenatural sleeping position, the throat and chest of the child are doublyprotected and the childs head cannot slip down under the covers nor canthe covers slip up over the childs face. A rubber pad may be used underthe lower portion of the childs body as is conventional. The child canbe put in the blanket or taken out of the blanket without removing theblanket from the bed. The article affords the sanitary convenience ofthe blanket, the

warmth and protection of the sleeping bag,

and a combination of protection and freedom of motion for the child notafforded by either.

WVe, therefore, desire to be limited only by the following claims:

1. A sleeping cover for children, comprising, an envelope for the upperportion of the childs body, said envelope characterized by a neckopening at its upper end, and two arm enclosing pockets, one on eachside of the neck opening, said pockets extending above the neck openingto permit the child to sleep with its arms and hands in an elevatedposition.

2. A sleeping cover for children, comprising, an upper garment portionadapted to enclose the upper portion of the child, said upper portionprovided with two upwardly extending pockets adapted to enclose the armsand hands of the child when the arms and hands are in a position abovethe childs shoulders, and a lower portion of single thickness adapted tocover the lower portion of the child.

3. A sleeping cover for children, comprising, a blanket, the upperportion of which is adapted to envelop the child, a neck opening in thecenter of the upper portion, pockets extending upwardly on either. sideof the neck opening to accommodate the childs arms and hands when inelevated position, a

slit running downwardly from said neck opening, a slide fastener adaptedto open and close said slit, said slide fastener terminating a shortdistance from the neck opening to prevent the metal parts from touchingthe child, an under piece attached to one side of the slit above theslide fastener mechanism, and adjustable means for securing the otherside of the slit over the under piece.

4. A sleeping cover for children, the upper portion of which is formedinto an envelope to enclose the upper portion of the child, two armpockets extending upwardly from said envelope portion, a neck openingbetween the arm pockets, and a lower portion of single layer thicknesswider than said upper envelope portion and adapted to be used as a bedcover.

5. A sleeping cover for children having an envelope including twoupwardly extending arm pockets adapted to enclose the chest, shoulders,arms and hands of the child, the lower portion of single thickness ofgreater width than the envelope portion, said lower portion adapted tohave its margins tucked beneath the mattress over which the sleepingcover is used.

6. A sleeping cover for children, comprising, a sheet of coveringmaterial folded upon itself to provide at one end a garment adapted toenvelop the upper portion of the childs body, a neck opening centrallydisposed in said upper envelope portion, a longitudinal slit in the topof said cover running downwardly from said neck opening, said slitconstituted by the free edges of the covering material, means foropening and closing said longitudinal slit, said cover of singlethickness downwardly from a point at approximately the waist of thechild sleeping under it, the material not used in the back of the lowerportion being incorporated in said lower portion as additional'width.

In witness whereof, we hereunto subscribe our names.

ARTHUR L. THEXTON. MILDRED .R. THEXTON.

